My junk food dilemma

With so many things in my life that I wish could be higher–such as my salary, my 401(k) {oh, my poor 401(k)}, and my IQ–the only thing that seems to be going up lately is my cholesterol level.

I went for my annual physical yesterday. Admittedly, I was a little lax in scheduling it. By about three years. Give or take a year.

Have no fear, I’m in good health. At least physically. As for mentally, the jury’s still out.

My cholesterol level, however, jumped from 200 to 240. That’s not as big a jump as when Evel Kneivel took on the Snake River Canyon, but, it was significant enough to make me start pondering my dietary choices and habits.

A word to the wise: Attempting to ponder such things is never, ever, a good idea when you are cruising the snack aisle of your local grocery store.

Sure, some solutions, such as just eating half a bag of barbecue potato chips in one sitting, rather than a whole bag, may sound simple. Maybe for you. But, that’s not the kind of commitment I’m rushing into just yet.

But, I have started.

I began the morning with one cup, rather than two cups, of coffee. (Hey, you gotta start somewhere). To avoid working in a semi-comatose daze (although I’m usually like that anyway) I grabbed another cup of java when I got to work. And, yes, I’m planning to skip the half a pot of coffee I make in the afternoons. As long as I don’t fall asleep while I’m on the afternoon walk with the dog, or on the treadmill, I’ll be fine. Really. Well, maybe.

(Blogger’s note: While my dog is rather insistant about her afternoon “walkie,” don’t hold your breath for me to get on that treadmill.)

I am now chomping on raw carrots as I write this, as opposed to the small bag of chips that I usually wind up fetching from the vending machine. (And, while I’m on the subject of vending machines, don’t you hate it when you select something from them, and your purchase gets stuck on the way down to your waiting hands?)

My doctor has given me a paper with, one one side, a list of good foods to eat, and on the other, a list of the not-so-good foods to eat. Naturally, most of my diet’s on the not-so-good list. I still haven’t decided which list I’m going to follow.

If I stop following the not-so-good list, I may just have to resort to eating cardboard.

And lots and lots of raw carrots.

About Brad Wadlow

Brad Wadlow tries to find the humor in most any situation. "I can be serious," Brad says, "but it's usually when the house is on fire, or my tie is caught in the blender (again)." He is currently a news assistant for MyCentralJersey.com.

2 Responses to My junk food dilemma

Another good snack are nuts. They’re healthy for you — in small quantities, not like the whole bag! Sometimes, I’ll eat yellow peppers, too. Because they’re tart, they kinda satisfy that sweets craving.

Thanks for the tip, Jen! Unforunately, I don’t do “small quantities” very well! But, I’ll try! Really I will! (he said, sounding like the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz.”)

About this Blog

Staff Writer Brad Wadlow teeters on the edge of insanity that is everyday life. Some insist he's already gone over that edge.

About the Author

Brad WadlowBrad Wadlow tries to find the humor in most any situation. "I can be serious," Brad says, "but it's usually when the house is on fire, or my tie is caught in the blender (again)." He is currently a news assistant for MyCentralJersey.com.E-mail Brad